US-Indonesia Expand Defense Partnership NEW

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U.S.
Marines take their position during a joint amphibious assault exercise
with their Indonesian counterparts on Banongan beach in Situbondo, East
Java, Indonesia, June 5, 2012.

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Sara Schonhardt

January 30, 2013

JAKARTA — The United States is furthering
its defense partnership with Indonesia by committing to securing the
waters in Southeast Asia against threats posed by terrorism, piracy and
renewed territorial tensions. China, too, is building its naval presence
in the region.

Some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes cross through Indonesia, a
country of more than 17,000 islands. With billions of dollars in trade
moving through the waters each year, U.S. officials say the country is
key to maintaining regional peace and stability.

As part of a pivot toward the Asia-Pacific announced by U.S. Defense
Secretary Leon Panetta last June, the United States is looking to
enhance its partnership with Indonesia in several areas, including
maritime security.

The goal is to work with regional allies to combat common threats, says
Captain Adrian Jansen, the naval attaché at the U.S. Embassy, who spoke
at a public gathering in Jakarta this week.

“Indonesia and the U.S. face many common threats - the threat of
conflict in the South China Sea, the threat of piracy on the seas,
natural disasters that injure our nations, the threat of terrorism and
the spread of weapons of mass destruction that the threaten our very
existence,” Jansen stated.

Analysts warn the United States needs to use those common threats to
engage more with China. Otherwise, the increased American presence
could spark conflicts with Beijing, which is also expanding its regional
influence.

Collin Koh is an associate research fellow at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

“If we look at the sort of actions that we see to date, it seems pretty
evident that the U.S. pivot is primarily targeted at containing China’s
emergence," he said. "Which coincided with China’s growing power and its
growing assertiveness.”

As part of its naval engagement, the United States has conducted
training exercises focused on counter-piracy and enhanced warfare
techniques. Those exercises have grown significantly since the U.S.
resumed military ties with Indonesia in 2005.

Meanwhile, China has also expanded its trade and defense relations.
Indonesian media reported the recent sale of C-705 missiles to equip
more than a dozen Indonesian warships. The two countries are also set to
sign a technology-transfer contract that would allow Indonesia to
produce the missiles domestically.

The increased cooperation comes as disputes intensify among China and
several members of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations.

Four of the 10 members of that regional grouping claim sovereignty of
parts of the South China Sea. But China claims nearly the entire area.
In the past, Philippine and Vietnamese fishing fleets have had dramatic
standoffs with Chinese vessels in the remote waters, sparking worries
that the dispute could lead to open conflict.

On Tuesday, Hao Yinbiao, an official at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta,
said China is committed to diplomatic negotiations and refuted concerns
that China’s increasingly aggressive actions would lead to
confrontation.

“A growing country tends to be believed by other people to have some
conflicts with the existing powers and influences. We have no other
agenda, like sentiments against the United States of America,” Yinbiao
noted.

Indonesia does not claim any of the contested territory and, in the
past, has played a key role as a broker in the dispute. But, after
failing to reach any substantive agreement on the South China Sea during
the last ASEAN summit, there are some analysts who worry the dispute
could become a battle for regional influence that could compromise ASEAN
unity - despite Indonesia’s efforts to broker a deal.

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